The Urban Spaces class with professors Ray and Viviana Lorenzo
After weeks of brainstorming sessions, meetings and construction, the “ESUS 310: Placemaking: Creating Sustainable Urban Spaces and Communities” students officially opened the first ever urban garden of Perugia. Located in the Borgo Bello neighborhood, the “Orto Bello” or “Beautiful Garden” aims to create a social network by stimulating the local community to take care of the garden together. Hopefully, this will result in a revival of the area.
One of the “mobile veggie planters”
The urban garden consists of craftily constructed “mobile veggie planters” that were strategically placed in a space along a more neglected street of Perugia. By the end of the semester, the class was able to give back to the community while gaining a sense of citizenship and becoming more than just students abroad.
The class and the project made it also on the local newspaper as well as on an nation-wide Italian online publication dedicated to ecology and urban development (Eco dalle città).
Check out also the project Facebook page OrtoBello.
Perugia is not just a city of Italians, but a community of people from all over the world. Current Umbra student Ethan Fichtner, an Arizona State University student, received a taste of Perugia’s diversity this semester as a volunteer English teaching assistant at the Ramus Oleae Immigration Center.
Wanting to further connect the Umbra student community with the immigrant population at the Center, Ethan thought a potluck dinner would be the perfect idea. “The semester was ending, and myself along with two other Umbra students had been volunteering all semester. Food is such an expression of culture, especially in Italy, and through a potluck we could invite the immigrants along with our students to taste one another’s culture. Our ‘cultural currency’ in this case was food.”
Last week, Ethan advertised the event at Umbra. The response exceeded all expectations – almost 30 Umbra students and faculty attended the dinner last Friday night, each sharing a favorite dish. They were joined by 15 students from the center, hailing from a variety of countries and backgrounds.
The Director of the Center was thrilled with the turnout, and believes such events are valuable for both populations. “To me, this is the way to have intercultural experiences. I think it really opens up new ideas and exposes students to the realities of immigration in the 21st century. It also helps to break down preconceived notions on both sides.”
Umbra would like to thank Ramus Oleae Centro Immigrazione for hosting the event, and Ethan for pioneering its initiation!
This was part of the service learning activities associated to the course: PSEU 340 – Politics and Economics of the European Union
In recent months, Umbra’s fair trade interns have been busy organizing events and educating the community about issues in fair trade around the world. With the semester coming to a close, we asked them a few questions about their experiences.
How has volunteering at the Monimbo Bottega informed your understanding of fair trade? Being in the shop was definitely valuable – we learned a lot by talking to the customers, the volunteers, and the paid workers. We gained insight into how these shops are run at a local level and the challenges that come with maintaining small businesses. We were also able to observe how the employees interact with the customers by informing them about the different products.
What has been the most memorable aspect of your internship experience?
Our meeting with Augustino and Michele (the president of the Monimbo Association) and the chocolate tasting events were the most memorable and rewarding. We also really enjoyed learning about global business and marketing.
How do you think you will use what you’ve learned through this experience when you return home?
We will definitely check out the fair trade issues in our respective towns, and be much more aware when buying groceries by looking at where and how they were produced. We also learned that it is important to buy locally – it is better for the local economies and, in the case of fair trade, it is better for the global economy as well.
To find out more about Umbra’s internship in fair trade, visit its page on our website.
“Living in someone’s home, especially in a foreign country, teaches you so much more than a language”
This Spring 15 semester, student Ethan Fichtner is staying with Orfeo and Rosamunda Ambrosi, a retired couple known in Perugia for their community activism, especially in the historic Borgo Bello neighborhood. A homestay program is ideally suited to students who would like to enhance their Italian studies outside the classroom in a warm, welcoming social setting.
Orfeo and Rosamunda, Ethan’s “Italian parents”
My name is Ethan Fichtner, I am currently a student at the Umbra Institute in Perugia, Italy, and I chose to live in a home with an Italian family during my time here.
A little bit about me – I was born and raised in southern California, I attend journalism school at Arizona State University in Phoenix Arizona, and chose to study in the city of Perugia because if my primary goal by studying in Italy was to learn the language, I didn’t want to be in a tourist-trodden city such as Florence where I wouldn’t have the opportunity to practice the language. When I saw that the Umbra Institute offered homestays, I was in.
I was placed in the home of Orpheo and Rosamunda Ambrosi – two Italians native to this region in Italy. They are both retired from careers in secondary education and since their daughter has grown up and moved out, the couple devotes large quantities of time socializing as well as serving their community.
Without a doubt I’ll say my acquisition and comprehension of the language would not be nearly as strong if it were not for these months living in the Ambrosi home. It’s not just the dinner conversations – it’s the news that’s always on TV in the background, the random things they say to me when I’m brushing my teeth in the morning, the witty back-and-forth banter, the requests to help fold bed linens, the greeting and subsequent mini-interview upon your return from weekend trip to some Italian city – it’s all of those little nuances that typify everyday life, but this time, in Italian. Everything is in Italian.
Living in a homestay may not be the most cost-effective or even time-efficient path in language learning because ultimately the learning outcome is dependent upon the individual. But living in someone’s home, especially in a foreign country, teaches you so much more than a language. Living in a homestay is, pardon the cliché-ness, “a cultural experience.”
Ethan’s view of Perugia
I’ll just provide one example among many.
I arrived in Italy on January 4th – a Sunday. I met my host parents on Monday, January 5th. Exactly one week after arriving in Italy, January 11th, I found myself seated in maybe the smallest car I’ve been in with my host parents (who at that point were essentially two strangers who only spoke in Italian) as we made our way through the Umbrian countryside to their home in the country. Upon our arrival, I notice that this is not only a house but also an “agriturismo”, or a functioning farm that hosts vacation-goers looking for a quiet and authentic Italian getaway. While I wandered the property and met the farm animals, one by one cars continued to roll in through the gate. Soon enough, lunch came around and with that, my realization as to why we were all there in the first place. My host parents’ nephew- it was his birthday. So there I was, enjoying lunch in a room booming with the conversations of 25 Italian brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, grandfathers and grandmothers, grandchildren, friends, and pets – all in a house that is older than the United States of America in the countryside of central Italy. This was day 7.
To say that living in an Italian home has helped with my understanding of Italian culture would just not emphasize the point enough. It would simply be impossible to learn what I’ve learned in four months about Italian culture if I had chosen to live in an apartment with American students. But I will say that both living experiences do yield their respective outcomes and there is no such thing as better or worse – only different.
One of the biggest downsides (initially) to living in a homestay is the physical disconnect from student life I experience as I go home each day. Being surrounded by other students all the time can positively or negatively influence the academic and social experience of the individual. In my case, I think that my academic performance benefitted due to the fact that I had a quiet place to work every evening. However growing friendships with other students in the program required real effort on my part.
I could say a lot about my time here but what matters is this: I tried something new and hoped for the best. Sure I guess it’s a risk, but in my opinion a risk worth taking. In the beginning, other students asked questions like how I made food or “isn’t it weird not having your own personal space?” Well first off, I do have my own personal space. But the fact of the matter is that I just don’t have control over everything and I’m okay with it. Since I’ve surrendered some control of my daily life to the people I live with, more often than not I get invited into their life.
Would I recommend living in a homestay? Most definitely, yes.
Is it for everyone? Certainly not.
Should you heavily consider it when deciding to live in a foreign country, especially one of a different language? Of course.
If you’re reading this and are even considering it, just ask your advisor more about it! I’m a student and wrote this in my free time, I’m not paid by the school or affiliated in any way. I have found this experience to be priceless and think that others should consider it when given the opportunity to live in a foreign country.
DO’S AND DON’TS OF HOMESTAYS
Alessandro Varazi is the housing coordinator for the Umbra Institute. One of his key tasks is to ensure students get paired up with the right host family: “In my experience, students doing the homestay program not only have their language skills improved greatly at the end of the semester, but they have also made friends for life. One of our host families even received an invitation to a student’s wedding.”
Alessandro’s tips:
Apply well in advance. There is a lot of interest in the homestay program, which means that sometimes we have to turn students down.
Communicate with your host family. They are responsible for you, so if you are going out, let them know.
IN THE WORDS OF A HOMESTAY FAMILY
Orfeo and Rosamunda Ambrosi have hosted three Umbra students and counting. Both are active members of their local neighborhood association, Associazione Borgo Bello, and love opening their homes to foreigners studying abroad. As Rosamunda put it, “We like to be surrounded by friends, to have a house that lives.”
Here are some words of wisdom from Orfeo and Rosamunda for students considering a homestay:
“Students should be prepared to speak only Italian – this is fundamental. They should also be prepared to learn about and adapt to the Italian way of life.”
“Living with a family is a way to read our culture.”
“We watch soccer together, help with homework, help them understand the Divine Comedy!”
“It also helps to have a family at home [in America] who understands the student is coming into the family home of another.”
Urban Spaces Professor Raymond Lorenzo will be representing the Umbra Institute as the keynote speaker at the Calandra Italian American Institute’s annual conference at Queens College in New York City.
This year’s conference topic is, “Bambini, Ragazzi, Giovani: Children and Youth in Italy and the Italian Diaspora,” and Professor Lorenzo’s keynote will be, “Imagining and Designing the Future in Italy, 1977-2014: Children’s Participation in Urban Planning.” It is, the professor’s own words, “a 35 year excursus through the ‘ups and downs’ of children and youth participation in ‘urban decision making’ in Italy. “
The conference will be held over April 24th and 25th and is open to the public – just RSVP by calling +001 (212) 642-2094.
For more information, visit the Calandra Italian American Institute’s website here, and to learn more about Urban Spaces at Umbra, visit the course page here.
On Tuesday night, Umbra students started to think about going back home
Re-entry is possibly the most overlooked aspect of study abroad. “Going home” often means leaving a new home behind. Many study abroad students will return as a changed person, but won’t have the opportunity to anticipate possible changes in their mindset, relationships, and goals. In fact, study abroad students often experience what is called “reverse culture shock” during this transition.
The Umbra Institute facilitated this workshop to help students reflect on their semester in Perugia and to provide them with resources for the future. Students shared their favorite and challenging moments of the semester and discussed what aspects of returning home could be the most exciting and challenging. They were provided with ideas for coping and avenues for sharing their stories from their time abroad.
The career portion of this workshop gave students the resources for marketing their international experience. Students had a chance to practice articulating their intercultural competence in a mock-interview storytelling exercise, and were given a workbook with activities to help build résumés that showcase their new linguistic and intercultural skills.
Culture Shock and Re-Entry WaveStudents reflect on their intercultural competence
This weekend the History and Culture of Food in Italy class embarked on what can only be described as an epic food voyage through Parma, the capital city of Italy’s “food valley,” Emilia-Romagna.
Watching parmigiano being aged in pools of water!
The once-in-a-lifetime culinary adventure began bright and early Friday morning, when our intrepid group of food researchers, led by foodie-in-chief Professor Elisa Ascione, departed from Perugia and headed north to Parma.
First stop? Salumificio La Perla, a family-run producer of world-famous prosciutto, or salted ham. Tour guide and full-time salumificio employee Silvia lead us through the rigorous 24-month salting, drying, and aging process that has been developed and perfected since the time of the Romans. At the end of a series of meticulous temperature adjustments and precise waiting periods, the prosciutto must then be examined by an expert taster who spears the meat with a horse bone in five different locations. The bone’s porous texture allows the scent of the meat to linger only momentarily, during which time the taster will decide if the prosciutto has earned the right to have highly controlled stamp of Parma printed on its surface. The visit was capped off with a homemade, prosciutto-filled lunch to remember!
Friday’s second stop was to the Museum of Prosciutto, where students gained insight into prosciutto’s economic and socio-cultural importance to the Emilia-Romagna region. The butchering of pork and labor- and time-intensive production of prosciutto is more than the creation of a life-sustaining food: it holds a place of utmost importance at the intersections of tradition, regional pride, and social engagement.
Students were then free to enjoy an evening in the lovely city of Parma, with its beautiful architecture and café-lined streets – highly recommended for a daytrip!
Saturday morning once again began early, this time with a trip to the Consorzio Produttori Latte Parma to watch parmigiano reggiano being made. The process follows artisanal methods, the most important aspects of which are still done by hand.
The group then headed to Acetaia Villa San Donnino, where third-generation balsamic vinegar producer Dario led a crowd-pleasing tasting of his signature products.
Each different variety is made with the same ingredient – grape juice – and aged in a series of barrels of decreasing size to concentrate the flavor. Students sampled white balsamic vinegar, as well as three different types of traditional balsamic aged six, twelve, and over twenty-five years. The tasting ended with the unconventional but delicious pairing of balsamic vinegar and vanilla ice cream!
Professor Ascione summed up the importance of the trip thusly: “Students have the chance to link products with the specificities of the territories where they are manufactured. They can see all aspect of the production: they trace historical continuities with the past and understand contemporary changes in techniques and values attached to these products. Visiting a place like the Prosciutto Museum after the prosciutto factory, for example, allows students to understand the changing culture and knowledge attached to butchering and preservation of cured meats though the centuries.” Tasty and educational! Buon appetito!
Location 
Wanting to further connect the Umbra student community with the immigrant population at the Center, Ethan thought a potluck dinner would be the perfect idea. “The semester was ending, and myself along with two other Umbra students had been volunteering all semester. Food is such an expression of culture, especially in Italy, and through a potluck we could invite the immigrants along with our students to taste one another’s culture. Our ‘cultural currency’ in this case was food.”
variety of countries and backgrounds.
How has volunteering at the Monimbo Bottega informed your understanding of fair trade? Being in the shop was definitely valuable – we learned a lot by talking to the customers, the volunteers, and the paid workers. We gained insight into how these shops are run at a local level and the challenges that come with maintaining small businesses. We were also able to observe how the employees interact with the customers by informing them about the different products. 
